- The Festival Returns to EAT. DRINK. EDUCATE. February 2019 -

PR Newswire

MIAMI BEACH, Florida, Sept. 12, 2018

MIAMI BEACH, Florida, Sept. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Widely recognized as one of America's most prestigious gourmet gatherings, the Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBEWFF®) returns for its 18th annual edition February 20 – 24, 2019. The five-day, star-studded Festival is composed of an unprecedented line up of more than 100 events spanning Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. To date, the Festival has raised more than $28 million in support of its mission to EAT. DRINK. EDUCATE. with the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University.

"We are excited to unveil the 100-plus events we have planned to our passionate fans and partners," said Festival founder and director Lee Brian Schrager, who also serves as senior vice president, communications & corporate social responsibility for Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits. "With a variety of new offerings and the return of the specially-curated CRAVE Greater Fort Lauderdale Series, the 18th annual edition of the Festival is our most robust event line up yet."

Kicking off the 2019 Festival, as well as the featured CRAVE Greater Fort Lauderdale Series, will be a dinner hosted by Donatella Arpaia, PJ Calapa and Michael Chavez. The series continues throughout the Festival with:

Dinner hosted by Anne Burrell and Angelo Elia

Dinner hosted by Elizabeth Karmel and Martina McBride

Clambake hosted by Alex Guarnaschelli and Jorge Ramos

Rock 'n Roll hosted by Adam Richman

The Great DOCG Wines of Italy Wine Seminar presented by Bank of America

The Festival's iconic white tents nestled on the sands of Miami Beach will once again house returning and reimagined fan-favorite tastings. The Goya Foods' Grand Tasting Village featuring Mastercard Grand Tasting Tents & Culinary Demonstrations takes place on Saturday, February 23 and Sunday, February 24. Signature evening offerings begin on Thursday, February 21 with Italian Bites on the Beach sponsored by HCP Media and the Miami Herald Media Company hosted by Giada De Laurentiis, and continue Friday, February 22 at the Heineken Light Burger Bash presented by Schweid & Sons hosted by David Burtka & Neil Patrick Harris. The party keeps going on Saturday, February 23 at the Beachside BBQ hosted by Guy Fieri, which will feature special musical performances from Cassadee Pope and Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real. Closing out the weekend on Sunday, February 24 is BACARDÍ's Beach Carnival hosted by Andrew Zimmern.

Brand-new events taking place at the 2019 Festival include:

Bites & Beats on the River hosted by Adam Richman

Wine & Cheese Happy Hour hosted by Martha Stewart

Taste Jamaica hosted by Cindy Hutson & Delius Shirley

Mangia After Dark hosted by Marc Murphy

Rosé Pool Party hosted by Geoffrey Zakarian

Sunset Stone Crab hosted by Emeril Lagasse

Plus, an array of new Master Class experiences covering a variety of carefully-curated topics!

Other notable 2019 Festival highlights include:

Family-friendly events taking place during the Festival will once again include Fun and Fit as a Family featuring Goya Foods Kidz Kitchen and the Family Ice Cream Social hosted by Duff Goldman, plus Nulo Pet Food's Yappie Hour hosted by Katie Lee. Fitness-focused offerings return with Bootcamp & Bites hosted by Robert Irvine and Buddhas & Bellinis.

Fans will continue to be satiated by the return of other popular events, including Tacos After Dark hosted by Michael Symon, Oyster Bash hosted by Josh Capon, Chicken Coupe hosted by Andrew Carmellini, Southern Kitchen Brunch hosted by Trisha Yearwood, Goya Foods' Swine & Wine hosted by Eileen Andrade and Fernando Desa, and featured Wine Spectator Wine Seminars presented by Bank of America. A plethora of intimate dinner experiences hosted by some of the country's most celebrated, critically-acclaimed chefs will accent this year's events, featuring renowned talent like Floyd Cardoz, Scott Conant, Rocco DiSpirito, Bobby Flay, Tyler Florence, Evan Funke, Barbara Lynch, Adam Perry Lang, Angie Mar, Michael Mina, Charles Phan, Fabio Trabocchi, Michael White, and many more. The Festival's annual Tribute Dinner presented by Bank of America part of The NYT Cooking Dinner Series at Loews Miami Beach will honor two pioneers of the food and beverage industry on Saturday, February 23. The acclaimed chef and restaurateur Nancy Silverton and Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery chief executive officer Rhonda Carano will be honored with revered author, editor and former restaurant critic Ruth Reichl serving as the evening's master of ceremonies.

A complete line up of 2019 events can be found online at sobewff.org, and by following along with the hashtag #SOBEWFF on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. SAVE THE DATE: The exclusive Mastercard pre-sale for the 2019 Festival begins Monday, October 8 at 9:00 AM EST online at sobewff.org or by calling 877.762.3933 (phone sales open Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM EST). General ticket sales begin at midnight on Monday, October 22.

Between SOBEWFF® and its sister NYCWFF, which takes place each October in New York City, more than $39 million has been raised to benefit the respective charities for each Festival. Beyond the funds raised, both Festivals draw attention to the vibrant dining culture in their respective cities, provide economic stimulus in their communities, and serve as an invaluable platform to drive awareness, engaging and inspiring people to get involved in philanthropic activities.

EAT. DRINK. EDUCATE. All proceeds from the Festival benefit the students of the Florida International University Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management who also assist Festival organizers with sponsorship fulfillment, restaurant and exhibitor recruitment, logistics, and inventory as well as working alongside some of the world's greatest celebrity chefs and winemakers. To date, the Festival has raised more than $28 million for the School. In September 2017, BizBash named the Festival the #1 Food & Restaurant Industry event in the United States for the fifth year in a row.

The Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival is produced by Florida International University and Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, with the support of the Miami Beach Visitors & Convention Authority and the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs. For more information about the Festival, visit sobewff.org or call 877-762-3933. For more information about Florida International University visit fiu.edu, for the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management visit hospitality.fiu.edu and for more information about Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits visit southernglazers.com.